Guardian Cryptic #29549

2024-11-25

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Across

1a

Wistful writer’s riddle broadcast (7)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Medicinal plant back at rear of nursery (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

definition: a plant traditionally used in herbal medicine BET ON="back" e.g. 'back a racehorse', plus end letter ("rear") of [nurser]-Y

11a

Relaxed popular class by a lake (8)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Joiner is topping worker (3)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

definition: 'and' can join words together e.g. in a list "topping"/'removing the head of': [H]-AND="worker"

13a

It comes in banks in the main (3-3)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Flimsy material made of some rags (8)

flowerflowerflower
15a

Even innards of basset-hound for the Villa! (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

definition: Aston Villa are an English football team "Even" (i.e. not odd) letters taken from the insides of [b] A [s] S [e] T [h] O [u] N [d]

16a

Having just one connection travelling via tunnel (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

definition: a term in chemistry for an atom that can form a single bond anagram/"travelling" of (via tunnel)*

19a

Controlling influence of coach during time-off (9)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Superior meal, seconds not required (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

[s]-UPPER, with 's' for "seconds" (unit of time) removed

24a

No farewell to learners. In no way (3,2,3)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

NO (from surface) + 'TA TA'=goodbye="farewell" + L and L (each L is for 'learner', so the two together are "learners")

26a

Differs showing V-sign (6)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Furniture company no longer has active president (3)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

definition: US President Eisenhower was known as 'Ike' IKE-[A]="Furniture company" losing 'a' for "active"

28a

Tops and just one t-shirt for starters (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

SINGLE="just one" + the starting letters T and S-[hirt]

29a

Unsure a gangster is holding president (6)

flowerflowerflower
30a

Ruin half of Rhodes and Ilium (7)

flowerflowerflower
31a

Massive group rowing in outskirts of Wallasey (7)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

EIGHT=a crew of eight rowers="group rowing", inside outer letters of W-[allase]-Y

Down

2d

Apparently singular snack for teams (7)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

definition: e.g. a football team might be an 'eleven' 'elevenses' are snacks, so 'elevens' might be read as a singular of this

3d

Facade’s terribly posh for New Town, initially (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

anagram/"terribly" of (posh for)*, plus initial letters of N-[ew] T-[own]

4d

Trip finding Venice on yacht, principally, taking a time (6)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Levi suffered somewhat, on reflection, gushing (8)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Jacket potato and red kale are their starters (5)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Dash over to meet a German to swap car? (5,2)

flowerflowerflower
9d

Jargon from flyer heard on the Big Breakfast? (6,7)

flowerflowerflower
17d

Whisky from wild archipelago without church (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

anagram/"wild" of (ar [c] hip [e] lago)*, not using the letters 'c' and 'e' for CE (Church of England, "church")

18d

A capital girlby Joveripping! (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

SARA=name for a "girl", plus anagram/"ripping" of (Jove)*

20d

Touchy leading economist with reason (7)

flowerflowerflower
22d

Graceful and neat, oddly concealing limb (7)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

anagram/"oddly" of (neat)*, around LEG="limb"

23d

Opposed to a bit from Keats, say (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

A VERSE [of poetry]="a bit from [the poet] Keats, say"

25d

Arab picked up the vernacular (5)

flowerflowerflower